Are We In a Postal Crisis?
Revolutionary War Patriot Thomas Paine wrote in 1776, “These are the Times that Try Men’s Souls”. Currently, I believe, the Postal Service is in a period of revolution with the NALC.
In May of 2019 the Postal Service initiated what can me termed a unilateral action to up end the Postal Service and its workers (mostly letter carriers) when they started a so-called “test” called “Consolidated Casing.” This in the opinion of this writer could be called “an act of defiance.”
The defiance is the ignoring of the collective bargaining agreement, current handbooks and manuals and past practices. The changes that have started to be implemented across the country ignore many if not all, of our agreements.
As of this writing, at least 25 post offices have implemented the program and supposedly another 13 will be implementing every week unless the processed is stopped. How can it be a “test” if it is being implemented in multiple facilities at different times?
Currently, Branch 6000 has 2 offices working with these changes. One is in Patchogue (LI District), the other is Great Neck (Triboro District). Additional offices could be added in the future.
2 possibilities exist that could slow-down the implementation or stop it completely. The first is a court injunction that might be heard before you read this article. The second is a National Level Arbitration case that could be heard by an Arbitrator in December 2019.
In 2013, former PMG Donahoe unilaterally announced that “HE” not the Congress would eliminate 6 day mail delivery. In response to PMG Donahoe’s press conference on the elimination of 6 day mail delivery to 5 days the Senate held a hearing. When questioned by certain members of the Senate as to “by what authority” the PMG made this decision (to eliminate 6 day mail delivery) he told the Senators you need to speak to my Attorneys.
This in my opinion, was a second act of defiance. There were calls for Donahoe to “GO” and eventually he did!
What needs to be considered now is whether Postmaster General (PMG) Megan Brennan is following this same pattern of “defiance” by unilaterally allowing a complete change in the carrier work methods without negotiating with the Union. I would contend that it is further compounded because the parties were starting the negotiating a “new” National Agreement that has since come and gone on September 20, 2019. Why did Postal Management not put these proposals on the bargaining table.
This “new” casing/streeter system has nothing to do with a new form of automation. It is a change in the physical labor that carriers have performed for decades and that in my opinion must be negotiated with the union.
One interpretation of the meaning of Thomas Paine’s statement above regarding the word “try” is that “the times that he was living in were the times that “tested” men’s souls.
I find it ironic that the Postal Service is claiming this is a “test”, but it is not. It is a change of work methods that should be subject to collective bargaining and it will be a “test” of our resolve that letter carriers receive “just” compensation for their work.
The Consolidated Casing could also be the unraveling of the service. The Caser will only have a true connection to the one route that they case and deliver. The other 4 or 5 routes that they case will only be an address on the mail. The human connection with our customers will be lost.
Thomas Paine also wrote in his pamphlet on the American Crisis that “The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country.”
The same might be said of those letter carriers who fail to work by the established and negotiated rules.
From my brief observations of the Caser/Streeter process and the talks that I have heard by some in management who ask for carrier feedback there should only be “silence.” This cry for now “help” leads me to believe that management “needs” the letter carrier to make this program work and they are hoping that you will show them how!
If asked by management, “what do you think we need to do to make this work?”
The only answer that I believe you should give is, “put the route(s) back to the way they were before you implemented caser/streeter program and sit down and negotiate with our Union!
Management should be aware of some final remarks that Paine wrote about the revolution, “Tyranny, like hell is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” In solidarity!
